PREFACE.
TWO considerations led to the publication of this book. The first was the belief that the sympathy felt for the Armenians in their unspeakable sufferings at the hands of the Turks would be deepened by an acquaintance with the temper and genius of the people, as shown in their poetry.
The second was the fact that Armenian poetic literature, while well worthy to be known, was practically inaccessible to English-speaking readers. Its treasures are locked up in an almost unknown language.
Each of these translations in verse has been made from a literal translation in prose, furnished to me in English or French by my Armenian friends. Among those who rendered this help were the late Mr. Ohannes Chatschumian of Leipzig University, Professor Minas Tchéraz of King’s College, London, editer of "L’Arménie;" the late Kevork Tourian, the martyred Bishop of Trebizond: Archag Tchobanian: Garabed H. Papazian, Haroutune Aslan, Arsen Diran, Avedis B. Selian,
